Adjustable fixture for window-shades



(-No Model.)

R. C. BIRD.

ADJUSTABLE FIXTURE FOE WINDOW SHADES. N0. 557,543 4 Patented Apr; 7, 1896.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD C. BIRD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ADJUSTABLE FIXTURE FOR WINDOW-SHADES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 557,543, dated April 7, 1896. Application filed August 18, 1894- Serial No. 520,738. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD C. BIRD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Adjustable Fixtures for indoW-Shades, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention relates to improvements in adjustable fixtures or devices for hanging window-shades; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the Various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a simple and inexpensive fixture which can be adjusted to shade-rollers of various lengths, and, second, such a fixture which is more readily and conveniently applied to the shade-rollers than those of the ordinary kind or now in ordinary use, and will so suspend the roller and its shade that the same may be raised or lowered to any desired position on the window-frame, thus permittin g light and ventilation from above and below, without hindrance or obstruction, by means of the shade-cloth.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means for adjustably connecting two parallel rods or bars together (which said bars or rods may be used for any desired purpose) by means of a spring clip or fastening.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a portion of awindow-frame, showing the shade suspended thereon by means of my device and partly lowered from the top. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my fixture detached from the shade and showing it foreshortened for the convenience of illustration. Fig. 3 is a similar View of a modification in the construction thereof, and Fig. 4c is a perspective view of the spring clip detached from the sustaining-rods.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

A representsawindow-casing which is provided with sashes B, as is usual. In the upper part of the casing and near each corner thereof is secured an ordinary screw-eye a or pulley through which is passed the suspending-cord C, which is usually doubled or of two strands, as shown in the drawings, and has its ends secured to the supportingrods near their outer ends. The lower portion of the suspending-cord 0 maybe fastened to a button or other suitable device (not shown) attached to the window-casing at a suitable height.

As is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the supporting-rods D and D are made of round wire, and are formed near the outer ends of their horizontal parts with curves or bends d, to which portion of said rods the ends of the suspending-cord C are tied or fastened. The outer ends of these rods are then bent downward at about a right an-. gle to their horizontal parts, and the rod D is provided at its lower bent portion with a circular bearing 61 for the cylindrical-shaped stub end of the shade-roller, while the outer end of the rod D is formed or provided with an elongated bearing 01 for the reception of the rectangular or flattened stub end of the roller.

The roller designed to be used with my fixture or attachment may be of the ordinary self-acting spring-roller kind or of any preferred kind; but it will be understood that the circular bearing d is to allow of the revolution of the stub end, which is adapted to operate therein, and the elongated bearing (1 is to prevent the turning of the flattened or rectangular stub end,which is connected with the actuating-spring on the roller, as is well understood. The rods D and D are firmly held together by means of the bow-shaped clip E,which is provided near each of its ends with a longitudinal slot 6 of sufficient size to receive both of said rods and allow them to freely move back and forth in said slots when the ends of the spring-clip E are pressed toward each other, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the pressure is removed from the ends of said clip, the elasticity of the material of which it is made will cause it to assume the position indicated by continuous lines in Fig. 2, and will thus firmly bind the two rods together, as is apparent.

In Fig. 3 Ihave shown a modification in the construction of my fixture, which consists in employing two bars or rods D and D which are flattened or rectangular in cross section, as shown, instead of being cylindrical, as in the other construction. These bars are twisted, as at 0, near their ends and are then bent downward, and the end of the piece D is provided with a circular opening f and the end of the piece D with a rectangular opening f, which openings are for the reception and operation of the stub ends of the shade-roller, as before set forth. In using this modification the bars D and D are placed so as to present their edges vertically, thus affording a maximum degree of strength, and the spring-clip is provided with openings 6, through which said bars are passed. In this modification the openings 6, instead of being made longitudinally with the clip, are made crosswise therewith; but under some circumstances I may use the longitudinal openings in the clip, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the contact of the clip will be on the edges of the bars instead of their flat surfaces.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen and readily understood that by pressing the ends of the clip together the supporting bars or rods may be adjusted to any desired length, when by freeing the ends of the clip the same, by reason of its elasticity, will cause the rods or bars to be pressed firmly together and there secured. It is also obvious that the shade F and its roller G may be lowered to any suitable point by means of the suspending-cord C, which, as before stated, is suitably secured to the side of the window-casing.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a shade-hanger, the combination with two horizontalbars having lapping inner ends and downturned outer ends provided with bearings, a shade-roller whose stub-axles are mounted in said bearings, and means for adjusting the height of said bars; of a bowshaped spring-clip whose ends have approximately rectangular slots of a size to receive said lapping ends and to clamp them together and within the slots by the normal spring action of the clip, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a shade-hanger, the combination with two flat horizontal bars standing on edge and having lapping inner ends and twisted and downturned outer ends provided with bearings, and a shade-rol1er whose stub-axles are mounted in said bearings; of a bow-shaped spring-clip whose body stands in rear of the bars and whose ends have rectangular slots of a size to receive said lapping ends and to clamp them together flatwise and within the slots by the normal spring action of the clip as and for the purpose set forth.

RICHARD G. BIRD. \Vitnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN. 

